Released
by Moonchild66
Summary: Set after CofE. Jack is a broken man, no longer a hero, he is hiding from all that he was. Who can put Captain Harkness together and bring him back from the brink? Please read and review.


64

Released

The sun beat down on ground from its apex, draining the moisture from the earth outside. The house sat on the top of the hill looking down on the clear blue waters of the bay below; Jack stared out of the large window, his hands clasped behind his back.

'Thanks for doing this Mr Harkness, it's so hard to get deliveries made in the squat district these days- things have got so much worse over the past months.'

'No need to thank me- the money is thanks enough,' Jack replied, trying to make his tone light and joyful. It did not come out quite as he had intended.

He made his way through the streets. This area was the worst part of the city; his client was right-no one else would willingly come into the area. Most of the windows on the once smart houses were now boarded up, and litter blew across the dusty streets. He looked down at the small electronic map: _next left about 100 meters down_. The package was small but heavy. Jack neither knew nor cared what it was, although if pushed he could have made a good guess.

He made the delivery without much trouble; the house was in better condition than most of the street but still not somewhere you would want to live. His instructions- to place the package in the mail box, ring the bell and leave- were followed to the letter. Once upon a time he would have waited, investigated, but not anymore. Turning his back, he returned to the main street of the district. Foul smells of sewage and unwashed bodies filled the air. The cries of beggars could just be heard over the music which blared from one of the houses, the door of which was filled with scantily clad young men and women. Jack walked steadily, hardly lifting his head from the floor. And then there it was- that smell. He stopped in tracks, his knees almost buckled under him. Coffee. He managed to raise his gaze, his head swimming; he could almost feel Ianto standing behind him, holding a tray of steaming coffee cups. Jack did not know how long he had stood there, paralyzed, unable to move. Then a harsh voice bought him back.

'Hand it over.'

'What?' Jack replied, somewhat dazed.

'Your money. You look like a lost tourist- there's a fee for being in this area.'

'Look mate,' Jack said, trying to turn on the charm, 'I've not got any money, I don't want any trouble- maybe there's something else I can do for you?'

'Cash only.' He pulled a broken bottle from under his jacket.

'This is going to end badly and, believe me, and not how you think,' Jack sighed.

The young man lunged at Jack, Jack raising his arm to the bottle. It crashed into him ripping through his shirt sleeve, and into his flesh. Jack grabbed the young man's arm, twisting it around behind him. The bottle fell to the floor, his opponent unable to move as Jack pushed his hand further up his back, forcing the mugger to bend and fall to the floor. Jack held him down, the assailant's face pushed in the dirt of the street.

'I don't have any money. Just go now.'

The room was small- a bed against one wall, a small table, a chair in the centre of the room, a chest of drawers under the window. A damp odour permeated the room, paper peeling dejectedly from the walls. The bare floorboards creaked and moved as Jack shifted his feet. Jack sat on the edge of the bed, his braces hanging limply at his waist. His coat hung next to him on the wall, the right sleeve just touching the head of the bed. He sipped at a glass of whisky, occasionally having to breathe more deeply to take away the burning feeling in his mouth. Fading golden red light streamed through the cracked window. Jack turned slowly towards the head of the bed, nudging the naked hip of the girl who lay there. Her auburn hair fell over her shoulders, the blue tint of her perfect skin almost glowing in the fading light.

'Time to get up Kay.' Jack's voice was gentle. The girl groaned and rolled over. Jack stood up from the bed. 'Kay,' he said, his voice louder and more authorative now. 'Time to get out of my bed.'

'Uh, oh, err, okay, I'm going. Are you sure that it is that time already?' She half rolled, half fell out of the bed. Standing, she walked towards the small bathroom at the far end of the room, making no attempt to hide her nakedness from Jack, who was now sitting back on bed.

'Is it still hot then? I was hoping the cold would have come by now.'

'I thought you hated the cold?' Jack raised his voice to be heard above the noise of the running water.

'I do, but this heat is keeping the tourists in the air con, in the casinos- I'm down fifty percent I reckon.'

A few moments passed and Kay walked back out of the bathroom; she now wore a silver bikini, which perfectly fitted her slim curved form. She pulled a chiffon robe from the drawer and hung it over her shoulders. Jack was still sitting on the edge of the bed, the glass of whisky now by his feet. He winced as he picked bits of pale blue shirt and glass from the wound on his arm, which was already starting to heal around the fragments. Kay crouched down in front of Jack, placing a bottle of iodine and a pair of tweezers on the floor.

'You should be more careful.' She moved her hand towards his injury. Jack sharply withdrew his arm. Grabbing her hand, he stood, pulling her with him. He turned her hand as he stood to reveal the soft flesh of her inner arm, it was not the soft blue hue of the rest of her skin, but was instead a deep red.

'You are a fine one to talk.'

'I'll be fine,' she snapped, pulling away. 'At least I'm not bleeding.' Jack looked at her sideways and sat back on the side of the bed, picking up the tweezers and recommencing his task.

'Race you to heal,' he retorted under his breath.

'Thanks for letting me stay here Jack. You should let me pay you back some time.'

'You should get to work.' Jack's voice was low and quiet, his mind seemed to wander. Jack looked at the coat hanging on the wall, dust had settled on the shoulders leaving them more grey than blue. Kay bent down towards him. This time he didn't move.

'Thanks Jack,' she said, kissing him gently on the cheek. She took a black coat from the back of the chair and wrapped it around her. 'See you in the morning.' Kay looked back at Jack as she left the small apartment. Jack had not looked up.

Once alone Jack pulled off his bloodied shirt, and lay back on the bed. The room was almost dark now. He had thought that things had been getting better: over the last few weeks he had managed a few hours sleep before waking in panic and cold sweats, seeing Stephen's blood soaked face, the accusing eyes of his daughter as she knelt beside his grandson's corpse. The smell of the street vender's coffee had hit him like a train and all he could see now when he closed his eyes was Ianto's face- the quiet determination as he had asked for a job, waiting outside the Hub for him every morning; then the feeling of the Welshman's strong arms around his waist; the contentment he felt watching him sleep; hearing his soft accent as the tall suited man had come to Jack's quarters bring the morning coffee. Jack had moulded the quiet office boy into a confident member of Torchwood, feeling pride and excitement as he had run into battle at his side. With desperation he had felt him slip away, his voice pleading with Jack not to forget him; the excruciating pain of seeing him pale and still laid out on the floor next to him, the regret of not telling him… telling him everything, all this had stayed with him. Why had he brought Ianto with him? He should have left him back with Gwen and Rhys. Gwen had been right: running away was not working. No matter how far he went, he could not escape this.

He opened his eyes, breathing deeply in an attempt to flush out the memories. The temperature in the room had dropped, goose pimples now covered Jack's naked torso. An hour before, the heat had been near to stifling; now he could see his breath in the air. The cold came quickly on the peninsula. Jack thought briefly of Kay- how she would be happy that the gamblers would now venture out to find some warmth and other ways to lose their money. He walked to the window, pulling it shut- not that it would go a lot of good, it fitted badly in the frame and he could already feel a draft flooding in.

Jack looked at the coat hanging on the hook next to bed. He pulled a white t-shirt from the drawer; amazing how white t-shirts seemed to be a universal standard. He gently brushed the dust from the coat, guilty that he had let it get in such a state. Ianto would be angry with him; he always got angry when the coat got damaged, or dirty. Despite the cold air he could not bring himself to wear it, he just held it to his chest. Could he still smell Ianto's aftershave embedded in the fibres? He lay back on the bed, clutching the rough wool of the coat close. Silent tears rolled down his face, and soaked into the cloth.

'Captain!'

There was a sudden knock at the door.

'Captain!'

He sat up suddenly. No one here knew him as Captain Jack. There was a slight buzzing on the other side of the door, and as Jack sprang to his feet the door was flung open.

'Captain Jack Harkness!' announced the Doctor, a cheeky grin spreading across his slim face. 'Sorry for breaking in- not the sort of area I wanted to hang around in.' Jack froze for a few seconds staring the Time lord. The Doctor's smile began the drop as he looked at the Captain. 'Oh Jack, I am so sorry.'

'Why didn't you come?' Jack stepped forward, beating his fist down in the Doctor's shoulder. He didn't move. 'You could have stopped it. If you'd come they'd still be alive.' Fresh tears streamed down Jack's face.

In an uncharacteristic show of strength the Doctor grabbed Jack's hand, pulling him to him. Jack's anger seemed to subside and his arms fell around the Doctor.

'I couldn't save them, Doctor. My arrogance killed them. I killed them.'

'You saved the world Jack. They worked for Torchwood, they knew the risks.'

'Stephen was innocent, just a child- he didn't work for Torchwood. I caused it, years ago I set the wheels in motion. I stood by and let the 456 take the children. I have to live with the consequences.'

'Don't you think that's a bit egocentric?'

Jack stepped back from the Doctor. 'What? How d'ya mean?'

'Well it isn't it? Everything that happened is Captain Jack Harkness's fault- a billon factors come into play to cause a single situation and you claim responsibility for it all. Can you honestly say no one else had an influence on what did or didn't happen?' The thin lines of the Doctor's youthful face were drawn taut.

'…If only you'd come…you could have stopped me found another way, Ianto and…..'

'Could I?' The Doctor cut in. 'I wonder. It's true that things would have been different if I'd been there- it would have been an entirely different set of events, a different situation, and no one, not even me, can say what might have happened then. Of course I'd have found a way, another way, because it would have been another set of circumstances.' He stood by the broken window, peering through the grime of the glass. Thrusting his hands deep into the pockets of his trousers, he rocked on his heels. 'You know how it works Jack- you know how the smallest thing can make a difference. So stop wasting time on 'what ifs'. You think I don't regret the way things turn out sometimes? The ones I've lost? Of course I do.'

'So how do you cope? How do you cope with the guilt and the pain?'

'You just keep going. If you give in to it then it's all over. You'll just sit there running over it in your brain and being afraid to feel again till you can't move- have you ever seen those forests with rows upon rows of petrified trees? Eerie, cold places. Give me the shivers.' He matched his actions to his words. 'I always think they're people who got stuck in the 'what if' rut. Don't fall into that trap Jack.'

Jack was slightly shocked at the Doctor's rather angry speech- had he been drowning in self pity? The Doctor was probably the only person in the universe that could understand the pain of seeing everyone you love grow old and die, or just die, and he too kept on going, ultimately alone- like Jack, one of a kind. Jack wasn't sure he could stop himself from falling into that rut, but he was sure he couldn't face another lecture from the Doctor.

'So how did you find me?' Jack tried to change the subject. The Doctor let him.

'Tardis picked you up, you still give off quite a signal: must be those 51st century pheromones! Where are we anyway?'

'Cayan peninsula, Aractus, Gambling centre of the Dagmar Cluster,' Jack reeled off the name like a tourist information film.

'Ummm,' the Doctor thought for a moment. "Dagmar cluster, been a while," he drifted off for a moment. Then he came back with a broad grin. 'So- gambling! Come on Jack, take me out, show me a good time.'

Jack couldn't stop himself from responding with a smile. He walked to the chest of drawers and took out a slightly crumpled pale blue shirt; he pulled it on, buttoned it up and pulled his braces over his shoulders. The Doctor smiled and, ever so slightly, nodded his head. Jack picked up his coat up from bed but after holding it for only a few seconds, he hung it back on the wall. Then, with obvious effort, Jack took a deep breath, pushed his shoulders back and smiled.

'You want a good time, I'll show you a good time!'

With that the Doctor opened the door of the flat and marched out.

The streets outside the apartment block were a bit run down, but positively gleaming compared to Jack earlier excursion. The night had become cold- Jack could see his breath in the air and the Doctor pulled his coat closed, folding his arms protectively across his chest.

'Brrr, is it always this cold?'

'The area has a rather odd weather system,' Jack explained 'Most of the time it's quite hot, then every six weeks the cold comes- three days of biting cold and rain. Like a Welsh summer really- except for the hot bit! Then as quick as it comes it goes again.' Jack couldn't remember the last time he had joked, and if he was honest with himself he didn't want to remember.

Jack took the Doctor down several streets until, walking out of a narrow alley, they came out on an area that looked altogether different. Both men squinted as the bright lights glared down on them. Vulgar neon lit the night sky and the air was filled with the odour of grease and unidentifiable cooked meat, like walking into a dodgy takeaway on a Friday night. Their ears were assaulted by the noise of what seemed to be an endless sea of street vendors and beautiful scantily clad beings enticing passers-by in to their respective casinos. Jack saw that the Doctor was scanning the strip.

'We should go to Atlantis.' Jack pointed to a gleaming tower on the other side of a golden paved square. 'It has a certain class.'

The Doctor looked back at Jack with a wry smile and headed towards Atlantis. As they neared the casino a stream of girls swarmed around the two handsome men, offering their services as hostesses, guides or "anything you want darling". The Doctor looked at Jack and to his surprise found that he looked rather uncomfortable, trying desperately to fend off the offers of these women. He took Jack's hand and pulled him close, sliding his arm round his waist.

'Thanks,' said Jack quietly "but I don't think that will work here- they just don't get it." As he spoke Jack's eyes lit up, 'but I do have an idea. Wait here.' With that Jack ran off- the Doctor saw him dart back across the square and down another alley way. Rather bemused at being left to fend off the casino's escorts, the Doctor rooted around in his jacket pocket, and pulled out a small paper bag.

'Jelly baby?' he offered.

A few moments later the Doctor spotted Jack heading back across the square toward him, but this time he had a young woman with him. Jack arrived back at Atlantis to find the Doctor entertaining a small group of escorts with a pack of playing cards. He looked up at Jack.

'Well ladies as my, er, escorts are here, it's time for me to go. Good evening!' He joined Jack and thrusting out a hand to the girl, said 'I'm the Doctor, and you are?"

'Doctor,' Jack interjected 'this is my friend Kay- having her with us should keep the casino escorts at bay.'

'Well it's very nice to meet you, shall we go?' the Doctor bowed slightly, holding out his hand to Kay and strolled off. Jack took the Doctor's other arm.

'Card tricks?'

'Previous life,' the Doctor whispered. 'Long time ago but comes in handy now and then. Oh and Jack?"

"Yes?"

"Shouldn't our lady friend be in the middle?"

Jack raised an eyebrow and released the Doctor's arm so that he could move round to take Kay's. The trio entered the false glamour of the Atlantis casino. Watery scenes adorned the walls and ceilings, and costumed staff tended the bars and waited on the tables that filled the vast room. Gambling tables were surrounded by an assortment of tourists and hardened gamblers, each hoping that the next throw of the dice or spin of the wheel would give them the win that would change their lives. The Doctor's gaze drifted around the room, and then it settled on an area to the rear of the room. A huge fountain filled the space, water tumbling down fake blue rocks to fill a large glass tank, wherein mermaids swam and darted, their long hair flowing around their naked torsos, much to the joy of the onlookers.

'I see now why you like this place Jack.' The Doctor looked disapprovingly at Jack and then grinned. 'The Atlanteans are an amazing people, travelling all over the universe, fitting into other worlds and cultures, then leaving only myth and legend behind them. Can be a bit pretentious though, bit like Time Lor...' The Doctor trailed off.

Kay looked at Jack, he could tell she was slightly confused. He had run into the club where she worked, and while trying to catch his breath had handed the procuress a wad of notes saying "I need her all night." He had grabbed her hand, "Come on, we need you!" and then he had ran out of the club, almost dragging her down the street and across the square to the casino. She now stood in the best casino on the peninsular with Jack, the man that had offered her a bed but never shared it, his sad eyes never really looking at her. This other man, The Doctor, was handsome, and in his presence Jack seemed to have a slight sparkle to him- maybe this was the man that Jack had been mourning over.

'Jack,' Kay whispered "who is this guy?"

'He's the Doctor,' Jack replied as a statement of fact, then he thought he should follow that up. 'He is an old friend, he travels around; I used to travel with him, a long time ago.' Jack's voice dropped as his mind drifted. 'He's just visiting.'

The Doctor had wandered off. Kay looked round to find him at the little kiosk where you exchanged money for gambling chips.

'Hello,' the Doctor greeted the old lady who sat behind the bars of the kiosk. 'I believe that you should be able to furnish me with some chips, so that I might play the tables.' As he said this, he showed the lady a small square of blank paper held in old leather wallet.

'O yes Sir, it is such an honour to see you on the floor Sir,' she rambled slightly. 'I just have to tell you Sir, I really love working here and you've created such an amazing place here.'

'Well thank you very much, Beryl,' the Doctor replied reading her name from her sparkly name badge. 'You're doing good work here.'

He came bounding back, holding a small tray of chips and wearing a silly grin. Jack noticed that he slipped his psychic paper back into his pocket.

'So you two, time for a bit of fun. Jack why don't you go and get us some drinks? I think Kay will give me luck on that spinny thing over there.'

'The roulette table?' Kay enquired.

'Yes, that's it.'

Jack returned a few moments later carrying three glasses of blue liquor in his hands.

'That looks interesting Jack,' the Doctor said, looking quizzically at the glass as he took it from Jack. 'Not sure I've ever seen you drink other than water or cof..'

'I am bit different these days.' Jack cut him off before he could finish. 'But this stuff has the most amazing flavour but you have to hold it in your mouth for a bit, while it err… fizzes.'

'Yeah, it is great,' chipped in Kay, 'but Jack- it's really expensive,' she whispered.

'Special occasion," Jack replied in a similar quiet tone and gave Kay a friendly hug of her shoulder.

'Woah!' the doctor exclaimed loudly. 'See what you mean. Um, so 100 on red 10? What you reckon Kay?'

They played at the roulette table for over an hour, both the Doctor and Jack drinking several more of the blue fizzy drinks. They took it in turns to place bets, won a little, but mostly lost- the Doctor quietly explaining to Jack that winning a lot would be slightly like stealing. Jack became aware that the Doctor was becoming slightly more vocal than normal, he kept singing little rhymes and laughing and joking with the other players. Didn't know alcohol affected a time lord, Jack thought, but he had things he wanted to forget for a while too. Kay was smiling widely, excited by the spins of the wheel and laughing at the Doctor's wild gestures. She looked at Jack, he too was smiling; for as long as she had known him, she had never seen him look like this- even if he had smiled there had always been a certain look in his blue eyes. She put her arm around his waist and leaned in close, resting her head on his chest. For a moment he seemed to warm to it, accepting her in, but then something changed- Jack suddenly moved away. At first it was pure rejection, then he realised what he had done and moved more slowly away, trying to make it a more natural movement to play roulette. Kay felt rather awkward at Jack's rejection, looking up at him she saw that despite the smile, the sad look had returned to his eyes.

Sometime later the trio were sitting at a table near the bar: Kay had been unable to keep up with the drinking of her to male companions and was slowing sipping water in between resting her heavy head in her hands. Jack and the Doctor were still consuming fizzy blue shots, although their drinking pace had slowed; Kay noticed the two didn't really speak to each other, there was none of catching up with an old friend conversations Kay would have expected.

'There is something very odd about this place Jack'

'Huh?' Jack tried to raise himself from his drunken haze. 'What do you mean?'

'Everyone is happy!'

'They are supposed to be' Jack replied 'You are supposed to have fun in places like this'

'No I mean everyone is happy- they are all losing money and yet they are still happy. Not one person has realised they have lost their life savings, or gambled away the kids' university fund.'

'It's just a casino Doc, nothing odd.' Jack had now adopted the same position as Kay.

'Well this is no good,' the Doctor exclaimed. He stood up from the table, wobbled slightly, and then strode off.

The Doctor returned a few moments later to find Jack had slumped further into his chair, the only thing holding his head up were his elbows on the table. Kay was even worse for wear.

'Hey,' Jack slurred looking up. 'I thought you'd gone.'

'And now I am back,' the Doctor replied rather cheerfully. 'I have secured us lodging for this evening; we can't all go back to your errrr, charming abode, can we?' The Doctor put his hand on Jack's shoulder. 'This place has me interested, but you are not really in any condition to run about, are you Jack?'

'I guess not,' replied Jack, slightly confused.

'So we'll get some sleep and tomorrow you'll help me work out what is going on here.' Jack pushed himself up from the chair and looked straight at the Doctor.

'Sometimes I wish I had never met you…'

'Yeah I know,' the Doctor interrupted, 'you much preferred being a coward but you're not that man, Jack. You can lie to yourself. Pretend that if you cut yourself off everything will be fine, but it's a lie. I believe in you Jack and you have got to go forward and prove to me that I'm not mistaken.' The Doctor's brown eyes looked deep into Jack's blue ones. 'And let's face it, Jack, I am never mistaken.' The Doctor grinned, 'well almost never.'

Jack almost smiled back, and then just very slightly shook his head. Scooping Kay up in his arms, he followed the Doctor towards the row of glass fronted lifts. Kay nestled into Jack's shoulder and kissed his cheek before finally losing consciousness; Jack did not withdraw from Kay this time. The Doctor led them up to the tenth floor and at room 133 he stopped, pulled out a key card and opened the door. It was a suite; several rooms lead off from a narrow corridor.

'Nice lodgings Doc.'

'Thanks, I thought it might be nice- but there are only two bedrooms!'

'Then it looks like you're with me brown eyes.' Jack carried Kay into one of the bedrooms, laid her gently on the bed then, with practised efficiency he unclipped and removed her silver bikini. He pulled the crisp white sheets over her now naked body and gently brushed her hair from her face before bending down to kiss her forehead. Glancing in the door the Doctor noticed Jack's paternal behaviour with interest, then passed on before Jack spotted him.

Jack found the Doctor lying on the bed in the other room, still wearing his brown suit although he had removed his trainers. Jack was amused to see the Doctor sported brightly coloured stripy socks.

When Jack woke daylight streamed through the windows of the hotel room; he was alone and could hear no voices coming from the other rooms of the suite. As he came round he realised it was the first time he had slept for more than a few hours since losing Ianto- apart from his stuffy head, he had to admit that he felt better for it. He got up and walked into the lounge area; the Doctor and Kay were nowhere to be seen and then he realised neither were his clothes. The water of the shower helped to clear his head. As he turned the water off, he heard the door of the suite open and the Doctor's excited chatter. Jack pulled a towel around his waist and left the bathroom.

'There you are big boy!' said the Doctor as Jack entered the room. 'Thought you were going to sleep the whole day away.' Jack looked rather surprised to see Kay dressed in a floor length white dress- he could not remember seeing Kay wearing anything quite so girly. Seeing Jack's eyes scan her, Kay smiled and said 'The Doctor took me shopping, do you like it?' She span round, the skirt of the dress fanning out around her.

Jack smiled back, 'Yes, it is very pretty.'

'They have a little shop,' the Doctor beamed. 'Oh Jack, your clothes should be here any minute.' With that, there was a knock at the door. Jack looked surprised, but the Doctor just grinned and shrugged his shoulders, and walked to open the door. Picking up a package which was left just outside and he handed it to Jack. 'I hope you don't mind Jack, I sent it to the laundry. Looked like you'd let the ironing slip a bit.'

'Ianto looked after all that sort of thing.' Jack surprised himself by saying his name out loud. 'He took care of everything… Thank you.' Taking the package, he walked off into the bedroom to dress.

_Ianto_, Kay thought, so that was his name.

The trio sat at a café table. The cold rain fell lightly on the golden stone of the square outside. The Doctor looked out of the window towards the Atlantis casino.

'So what do we think is going on here?'

'Well,' said Jack, 'people come to the casino, they lose money and are happy about it. And having seen them, we know that some lose so badly that they can't leave again, gambling away their ticket home. But it is not everyone because….' Jack was cut off by a handsome waiter walking up to the table.

'What can I get you today?' he asked in a polite tone and then looking down at the trio added, 'Kay! Is that you? Wow, I didn't recognise you.'

'Oh hi Raakin, yeah I do look a different I guess. Does it suit me?' Kay looked up at the waiter, smiling. It was obvious to both Jack and the Doctor that she liked this young handsome man. His blue skin was a slightly darker shade than hers and his hair was almost white with the merest hint of green.

'Yes, errr,' he replied nervously, stumbling over his words, 'you look really pretty… well you're always pretty, it's …err, different.' Kay giggled. Raakin smiled back, trying to regain his composure 'Well- what can I get you?'

'Water please' Jack tried not to giggle at the young man's awkwardness with the pretty girl.

'Umm, Garum please,' Kay said, furnishing the young man another smile.

'Garum? You mean…..' quizzed the Doctor.

'Oh yeah,' said Jack, 'the natives are really great people but have really odd taste- fish goo… ugh.'

'Jack!' protested Kay, laughing at the face Jack was pulling.

'I'll have tea please,' the Doctor said, shaking his head in mock disapproval at Jack.

Raakin left the trio to get their drinks.

'So, Kay…' said Jack 'who is the stud?'

'Raakin, he just a waiter. I come in here some mornings, he just nice, you know? Treats me nice, even though he knows what I do: not like some people.'

'Yeah and he's cute,' Jack smiled.

'So,' said the Doctor cutting Jack off, 'would it be possible to get back to the issues?'

'Sorry,' Kay suddenly looked like she had been told off by a school teacher for talking in class. Jack just smiled; he liked smiling today.

'Right, so we know that people come here and some never leave. How do they get here, why do so many get stuck?'

'You can only get here by air ship,' Jack said, 'the peninsular is cut off- mountains to the north and reefs fill the sea.'

'If you don't have a ticket you don't even get near the dock- security is really tight,' Kay chipped in.

'Okay,' said the Doctor thoughtfully 'let's back up a bit. This place used to have money, right? I can see that from the buildings. Now it's just this bit around the casinos. So when did things change?'

'Kay, over to you,' Jack smiled.

'Well,' she said thoughtfully 'you are right; when I was little I remember the houses being really nice. People came to work in the casinos and the town grew, they had kids and so I guess they needed lives so then there were shops and schools. But then it all went downhill. I remember my family talking about the casinos being bought out, and saying that the new owners were going to cause an upset, making changes and getting rid of staff. But no one ever said much after they took over the casinos, things just changed slowly, it was like no one really noticed.'

'Did you?' asked the Doctor.

'No,' said Kay looking worried, 'not till you asked about it.'

'Right,' said the Doctor. He stopped as the waiter returned to the table with their drinks. Raakin delivered them silently, noticing that Kay's companions had stopped talking as he had arrived. He gave Kay a shy smile as he put a terracotta cup in front of her.

'Just give me a call if you need anything,' he ventured.

'Thanks,' replied Kay returning his smile.

The Doctor watched Raakin walk away. 'Right, so- someone bought the casinos, and things started to change but no one really noticed. Now people still come here, but some never leave- losing everything and not really caring.'

'Well not caring until they realise they can't leave, not realising until they end up in the squat district,' Jack chipped in.

'Umm, yes,' the Doctor looked thoughtfully into his tea.

'Like a spell?' Kay looked at the Doctor as if seeking approval.

'Yes, like a spell, and we, my little team should find out what is going on.'

'But it can't affect everyone in the same way,' Jack suggested 'or no one would ever be able to leave- everyone who came here would get stuck.' He thought for a moment then added 'and that's just not the case, is it? Everyday we see people come and go and surely if no one ever came back from here, someone out there would have noticed.' Jack gestured to the heavy grey sky.

'Right, so we need to find out how many people this is effecting and if there is a pattern.'A broad grin grew across the Doctor's face. 'Kay, do you know where we can get the airship records?'

'Err, yes, the office across the square is part of the airship company, they would have records.'

'Excellent,' he said, still beaming, 'and Jack, I want you to go back to The Atlantis- see if you can determine who is being effected by this...spell.'

'Yes Sir,' responded Jack, sporting a smile. He took a gulp of his water and stood up. 'So I'll see you later.' Jack left the café.

The Doctor sipped his tea and looked at Kay, 'So how long have you known Jack?' he asked.

'Met him about a season ago, I think. He lets me stay in his flat, but I wouldn't say I know him, if you know what I mean.'

'Yes I know,' responded the Doctor, 'bit of a mystery is our Jack'

'I know he heals fast, like nothing I have ever seen- he gets hurt sometimes and then he is fine within minutes. But I know that something is wrong- like he is broken inside. He is happier with you here. He wasn't always sad, and you know why, don't you?'

The Doctor was no longer grinning. 'Jack saved a lot of people but others got hurt. Jack blamed himself. And as for me making him smile, well I think the _spell_ might have something to do it, but maybe the idea of solving a mystery is helping.'

Kay nodded. It was clear that the Doctor was not going to go into any more detail. 'OK,' she said, 'so shall we go and find out about the airships?'

'Yes, let's!' The Doctor sprang to his feet. Kay dropped a few notes onto the table and left with the Doctor.

Jack sat at the bar in the main room of the casino; the bar was circular and was situated in the middle of the room, surrounded by gambling tables. Jack ran his finger around the rim of his glass of water as he looked out across the room. He was watching a group of men play cards, the croupier dealing slowly, a blank expression on his face. It was only just midday and yet the casino was filling up; the lack of windows or clocks disguised the time of day, it was an unnatural environment designed to disorient. This is not a spell, Jack thought, they've been doing that on earth for years- casinos of perpetual night, a hyper-reality in which to escape the world. He studied those who came into the casino and watched for patterns. He hardly noticed the freshly laundered scent of his shirt as it filled his nostrils.

It must have been several hours before the Doctor and Kay returned to the casino. As they walked towards the bar Kay noticed that Jack once again looked sullen, staring out onto the casino floor at the throng of gamblers that now surrounded the tables.

'So what do you reckon Jack' said the Doctor as he walked up to the captain. 'Is there a pattern?'

Jack jumped slightly. 'Oh, sorry, didn't see you. Yes, I think there is a pattern,' Jack span his bar stool away from room and toward the bar, placing a half full shot glass on to the marble surface. 'It is desperation.'

Both the Doctor and Kay looked at the glass that Jack had placed on the bar, and then back at Jack.

'Not me!' Jack said defensively, 'This is something else. The happiness is more profound for those who are most desperate.'

'Isn't everyone desperate when they keep losing?' Kay enquired.

'It seems to be why they come here. People come here for different reasons right? Some for the skill of gambling- the rush it gives them, or for the shows and what the hotels offer and just have a flutter on the side, and others, well they come here because they are desperate and think they can make a quick buck. They've reached the end of the line and as a last resort they come here with their life savings, or money they have scrounged, hoping they can make it all better. It's those ones who seem happiest to lose everything, making that one last bet a normal person wouldn't.' Jack looked at the Doctor then stared past him towards the gambling floor.

'Hmm.' The Doctor pushed his hands deep into his pockets as he turned and also looked out across the floor. 'Well with what we now know, I can tell you that there is definitely something nasty going on here.'

Jack refocused his attention the Doctor and Kay, 'What did you find out?'

'Let's go somewhere else shall we? Somewhere not owned by the casino would be nice.' The Doctor spoke quietly but Jack thought that his eyes sparkled with the thought of this mystery.

'Well, that rules out anything in the square,' Kay said thoughtfully.

'Back to mine?' Jack said with a wink.

'I think my place might be more useful,' responded the Doctor, mirroring Jack's expression.

'Your place?' Kay asked, looking at the Doctor. 'I thought you were visiting Jack?' She glanced at Jack. 'Jack, you said he's from off world?'

'I am- but it's how I got here, that's the question.'

Kay looked at Jack, her eyes demanding answers, but Jack just looked past her towards the Time Lord and slowly his eyes widened and a smile spread across his face. 'Let's go,' he said, and with that he jumped from the bar stool, clasped Kay's hand and, with the Doctor at his side, began to stride purposely out of the casino.

They reached the door that led onto the square- it was raining outside. There was no sign of the sun anymore and heavy rain pounded the golden paving stones and flooded the ground. The Doctor took off his long brown coat and handed it to Kay.

'Ready for a run?' he beamed. Kay pulled the coat around her, covering her head and wrapping it round her small frame. The Doctor led the way as the trio ran across the wet square, water splashing around them. The streets were deserted. They reached a narrow alley way. The Doctor slowed, pulled a key from his pocket and, taking a few steps into the dark alley, opened the door of the Tardis.

Kay looked at the soaking wet Jack, his drenched shirt sticking to his chest. 'What?' she asked. 'It's a box?'

'This is the Tardis.' The Doctor said as he opened the door. Sweeping his wet hair back from his face, he walked inside. Kay looked none the wiser but Jack just smiled and signalled for her to go through the door. Before Kay had a chance to say anything, the Doctor looked at her stunned face, and pulling off his own wet jacket said 'Yes, yes, I know it's bigger on the inside.' He smiled. 'Jack, show Kay around will you? I'll find some towels or something.' His voice trailed off as if in deep thought and he wandered off into another part of the Tardis. Kay removed the Doctor's trench coat and stared around her in a bewildered trance. Jack took the coat from Kay and hung it on a convenient bit of the console room. Kay's eyes moved up the organic pillars, to the high ceiling. She tried to talk but no noise left her lips, Jack chuckled to himself.

'It is called a Tardis- Time and relative dimensions in Space. The Doctor travels the universe and this is his ship. Trust me, it's easier just to accept it rather than trying to work it out.'

The Doctor returned. He was still dressed in the same tight fitting suit but was now completely dry, his hair returned to its previous tousled style. He threw a towel at Jack and passed another to Kay. 'Umm' he said, looking away from her, now translucent, white dress. 'Not sure a towel is going to work. Through there, second door on the left. I'm sure there is something suitable. Help yourself to anything you can find.' Without a word Kay followed the Doctor's instructions using the towel to dry her damp hair, which even the protection of the trench coat had failed to keep dry.

Jack raised an eyebrow at the Doctor as he towelled his own dark hair, then he unbuttoned and pulled off his blue shirt. 'Bit of a waste of the laundry, but it was nice while it lasted.' Jack hung the shirt out on another section of organic framework of the Tardis. He crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against a pillar of the Tardis. 'So then. What is going on here?'

The Doctor ran his hand over the Tardis console. 'When the casinos were bought out, the same person bought everything- all the casinos, shops, café and most importantly air ships. It's like they bought the whole peninsular.' He paced around the Tardis, still stroking the console. 'Oooooooo, that's it.'

'What's it?' Jack asked. He had been trying not to giggle at the Doctor's affection for his ship but now he was fully focused on what the Time Lord was saying.

'They bought the whole peninsular, lock, stock and barrel. But why? Why would you need to own all the land?' The Doctor stood with his legs apart and hands in pockets, rocking on his heels as he considered the question.

'They bought the whole peninsular?' Kay said in surprise as she re entered the console room.

Jack let out a gasp as he looked up at Kay. She was wearing a black catsuit; although made of thick material it was not smooth like leather but sparkled slightly in the light which glowed from the console.

'Do I look okay?' she asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

'You look great, it is just I have not seen you in anything like that before, bit of a shock that all. There is so much more…' he paused trying to find the right words, '…material! I like it.' Seeing Kay return his smile, Jack guessed he had phrased his words correctly. He liked seeing her more covered up. He had often felt uncomfortable when men had inspected her scantily clad body- a feeling he had only ever had once before and not a feeling he had ever felt comfortable with.

'Yes, why would they need the whole peninsular? That is the question,' continued the Doctor as he also looked up. 'Oh, haven't seen that outfit in while.'

'So there is something here that is valuable, other than the casinos- something in the land?' Jack theorised.

'Brilliant, ah, brilliant Jack!' The Doctor's smile was wide, gleaming white teeth seemed to fill his whole face. He span on his toes and started tapping at keys on the Tardis console.

'Doctor?' Kay looked quizzically at the time lord.

'I am scanning the area for ….. well anything really…something that would be worth buying all that land and secretly enslaving desperate gamblers.'

'Enslaving? What did I miss?' Captain Harkness voice went up several keys.

The Doctor continued to move his hands over the Tardis controls, as he danced and hopped around the console. 'We found out quite a bit at the ticket office- young Kay here can be very persuasive.'

'I know,' Jack interjected, 'why do you think I let her share the flat?'

'Well,' said the Doctor, looking sharply at Jack's comment. 'While Kay was…er…talking to the ticket clerk, I was able to determine from the records that about ten percent of all arrivals sell their tickets back.'

'And I'm guessing they never won enough to buy them back!'

'One or two, but not many,' Kay interjected. 'They don't advertise how much more it is to buy a one way ticket off the peninsular- it is not just a matter of winning back what you sold it for.'

'Like a ticket pawn broker.' Jack stared thoughtfully into the expanse of the Tardis control room. 'So where are they all going? That would be hundreds of people a year? No way are they all in the squat district.'

The Doctor looked up from the console, his sultry eyes peering over the black rims of his glasses. 'Hence the enslaving bit. Those who do not have ticket to get home and ask for help or make a fuss, are told that the casino employment office can help.'

'But as I told the Doctor, very few jobs come up- no one leaves a job in the casino. When the casino company owns almost everything on the peninsula, there are not many other opportunities.'

'Oooooo,' the Doctor was now tapping away at keys on the Tardis console, 'now that is very interesting, someone has been very busy.'

'What it is?' Jack enquired as he joined the Doctor.

'Well, there is definitely something down there and someone wants to keep it hidden. Jack look at this, what do you make of it?'

Jack stood close to the Doctor, peering at the monitor. 'Woah, that must be using a lot of power. You're right whatever is down there, someone has gone to a lot of trouble to shield it, so think we can assume that whatever is down there is either rare, valuable or dangerous.'

'Or all three- but if I am as clever as I think, which of course I am, I should be able to….' The Doctor glided around the console turning several dials. 'Yes, there we go, penetrating the shielding and below we have….' the Doctor's face dropped, concern replacing the grin.

'What is it?' Kay asked, the Doctor's anxiety transferring to her face.

Jack peered again at the monitor. 'Oh my god. That's why they've gone to so much trouble, so much expense, mind control and shields. I've heard about Distronic ore but I thought it was a myth.'

'Unfortunately not- it is very rare, but real none the less.'

Kay had now joined her male companions at the monitor, 'What is it? What are they doing to my home? What is Distronic ore?'

The Doctor turned to Kay, 'Distronic ore, is very rare,' he explained, 'some races use it to make very powerful weapons- when refined it is highly explosive. Not only that, it releases toxins so if the explosion doesn't get your enemies, they will die a slow and painful death from the poison.' He paused, sadness filling his eyes. 'It was made illegal by the Shadow Proclamation, and others- banned throughout the universe, never to be used again but someone wants it, someone is going to a lot of trouble to get it.' The Doctor stared blankly at the monitor.

A few long seconds passed. No one said anything. Without warning the Doctor seemed to spring back to life, bouncing away from the console his eyes bright, 'Right Jack, are you up for this? Think it's about time you got yourself an honest job. Kay you should come with me, find out who is running this and put a stop to it.'

'You can't send Jack down there on his own!' Kay remonstrated. 'You said yourself how dangerous that stuff was!'

'Believe me Kay, Jack is the only person that can go down that mine safely. You have seen it yourself, how… special… how different he is.'

'I like special better,' Jack shouted from the other side of the Tardis, as he pulled his damp shirt back on. 'Kay, I will be fine,' he spoke more quietly as he moved towards her. 'You can't get rid of this level of perfection.' His matinee smile beamed like nothing she had ever seen before. 'Doctor, I will see you later, when it is all done.'

'Yes, definitely. I'll take care of young Kay- although she seems quite capable.'

'I am here,' Kay protested.

'Yes, of course you are,' the Doctor replied.

'I will see you later.' Jack gently ran his hand over Kay's damp hair then he left the Tardis.

It was still raining as he made his way back towards the casino but at least it had slowed to a drizzle. He walked slowly through the damp streets, the light rain again soaking his clothes. The casino employment office was down a small passageway off the main square, away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist and escorts. As he walked, Jack briefly wondered why he was doing this. Why had he let the Doctor talk him into his, why should he help these people? What if something went wrong, what if someone got hurt? He shook his head, and tried to push these thoughts to the back of his mind. It was too late now for doubts- Kay was counting on him to help these people. He pushed open the door of the small office; it was dull and shabby inside, quite different from the grand interiors of the casino. An old blue man sat behind the desk, his dress and demeanour matching the room.

'Good afternoon, young man, and what can we do for you today?' Jack smiled to himself, "_Young", _how he wished he was still young!

'Oh, yes,' Jack replied, suddenly the man was looking quite stern. 'The thing is, I seem to have lost all my money, sir.'

'No reason to be embarrassed son- you would be surprised how often I have seen it happen. All you young men come here thinking that you are immortal, untouchable, then the fantasy ends and you realise that you can't get back to the real word without a bit of help. Well, I guess you will be needing a job. Now let's have a look shall we.' The old man turned to a filing cabinet and started flicking through the paper files.

'I'll do anything,' Jack's oozed anxiety.

'Well, you look like a strong, able man so that helps.' He pulled a file from the drawer.'If you don't mind a bit of hard graft, there seems to an opening for a groundsman. Good honest work, that and lots of fresh air too.'

'I'll take it.'

'Good. Well I hope you stick with it longer than the others- they always seem to need people down there.' The man handed Jack small card. 'Here is your employment card- you must take this with you. I assume you can start straight away? I will let them know you are coming.'

'Err.. yes, straight away, of course. Where do I report to?'

'Head out of the complex on the road that leads to the south coast, it's a white building on the edge of town, called Wood House, you can't miss it really.

'Right, okay then, thank you very much.' With a nod from the old man Jack left the office.

Kay sat silently on the rickety seat, her legs curled up next to her. The Doctor continued to turn dials and, pulling on his glasses, he studied the monitor of his time machine, mumbling as he did so. Kay didn't understand most of what he was saying but as he didn't really seem to be talking to her, she doubted that it mattered.

The Doctor looked up from the console and, tucking his specs back into his jacket, held his hand out to Kay. 'Allons-y, time we went and saved the planet- well this peninsular anyway. What is on the rest of the planet anyway?'

'Not much really' responded Kay 'It's mostly mountains and sea- my people live mainly on the coasts around the equator. A few nomadic tribes and hermits live inland, but this is the only real settlement… not really sure how it ever started.'

'Hmm, come on.' The Doctor took hold of her hand and, almost dragging her, left the Tardis and started back toward the Casino.

When Kay realised where they were going, she stopped walking and called to the Doctor. 'What are we going to do? You can't take on the casino- they are too big, and we'll all end up down that mine!'

The Doctor turned around to face Kay, but didn't stop walking. 'What where you expecting to happen?' There was anger in his voice now 'People are dying down there, and all for despicable weapon, and your own people are living in servitude and don't even know, and.. and.. and I thought you wanted to help?'

Kay was shocked by the Doctor's outburst. 'I do want to help,' she pleaded, 'but I thought we were going to just pass what we know to the authorises. That Shadow Proclamation, you said they had made it illegal- can't they come? I am escort, and Jack.. well what ever he is, he is down the mine, and I have no idea what you are Doctor, but how can you take on the people that are doing this?'

The Doctor's face softened as he finally stopped walking, 'Before he came here Jack did this sort of thing all the time, he saved his home many times, and me, well…. I save planets, rescue civilizations, defeat terrible creatures … and apparently there is a lot of running.' A cheeky grin spreading across his slim face then he was serious again.'And I am sorry Kay, it might be dangerous and if you don't want to come then that is okay, but I am going. There is no one else who can help. If the Shadow Proclamation find out about the mine they won't care that the people down there or your people are innocent, they will only care about destroying the mine, and I mean destroy permanently.'

'Okay,' she said a slight hint of nervousness in her voice, 'if it is just us then we best get on with it then.'

'Sure?'

'Definitely. Jack lost people he loved to save his world didn't he? I have to help him save mine. And you Doctor, you are willing to help and you don't even know these people. I have to help, I can't walk away now, can I?'

'I see now why Jack likes you,' he grinned,

'But what are we going to do?' Kay enquired.

'Weren't you listening in the Tardis? There is a transmitter, that's what making people act they way they do, we are going to turn it off! Come on,' he said with a sideways twitch of his head.

Jack had been met at Woodhouse by a sour burly man; his overdeveloped muscles had left stretch marks on his dark skin and filled every inch of his clothes, his soft brown eyes in stark contact to the rest of his appearance. Jack tried to make conversation, explaining how he had lost his money, but that he was looking forward to making a bit of honest money for once but the man said nothing, except 'this way' as he led Jack though the house. The rooms were dirty, unfurnished, verging on derelict; it was no longer the impressive country residence it had once been; now it was just a shell covering the entrance to the prospective weaponry that lay beneath. The man stopped in front of a steel door; to the side was a computer terminal. Jack offered the man the job card he had been given. 'I don't need that' he replied gruffly. He tapped several keys, and the steel door slide open to reveal an industrial lift, the dirty steel cage reminded Jack of the Victorian collieries on earth. 'Sorry mate, you seem like a nice guy, but you won't be working outside.' He put his large hand on Jack's shoulder and pushed him into the lift. There was not much room in the cage. The larger man was not much taller than Jack, but his width meant that Jack was almost pressed into the wall. The lift seemed to descend for an age, deep into the earth; Jack tried to think of other things to say, what could he learn from this man?

'So where am I going? Guessing by the look of you that it's still manual labour?' Jack had really turned on as much of his 51st century charm as he could muster. 'A body like that must take a lot of looking after.' Jack's eyes scanning the bulging muscles of his guard. The lift shook slightly; Jack deliberately lost his balance and nudged into the large man, his hands pressing against his huge chest to regain his balance.

'Sorry,' Jack smiled as he left his hands on the man's chest just a few seconds too long.

'Don't worry about it,' the man's face softened in to a smile, 'this lift does shake a bit.' He put his hand back on Jack's shoulder but this time there was no force, just a steadying almost comforting grip. Again the lift shook as it came to a stop.

'Time to go I'm afraid. The best thing you can do is to just keep quiet and keep your head down.'

'Unfortunately that's not my style; I've been told that I am a bit of show off.' Jack raised his eyebrows as he spoke.

Once out of the lift Jack was hit by the heat. Dust clung to Jack's skin, washed clear in streaks by the sweat which trailed down the small of his back; on the surface the brisk wind had chilled his body but the mine stifled him. He had to breathe twice as deep just to find enough oxygen. Before he realised his guard had left him, he had returned to the surface, no doubt to collect the next willing worker.

'Don't just stand there!' An equipment pack was thrust into Jack's gut, with such force it knocked the little breath he had out of his lungs. 'Get your gear on, and get down there.' The voice was loud and brusque, with a hint of "_I really like my job." _Jack looked at this foreman and seeing nothing appealing decided that getting his gear on was the best plan. He pulled on what looked like a climbing harness and put on a yellow hard hat that had seen better days. He was led down a series of tunnels, passing a number of other gamblers that had fallen foul of the casino above. Their faces were blank- they just pushed carts or carried tools with their heads looking to the floor. Their skin was pale, their eyes sunken. The passageway got smaller until the tight tunnels of the mine seemed to press in on him, 'Take this,' he handed Jack a crude pick axe 'Go up there.' He pointed scaffold walkway about three meters above him, and then turned and headed back to the main cavern, 'NOW!' he bellowed.

Jack climbed the shaky ladder to the walkway, all the time looking around at the other workers in the tunnel. There were maybe twenty men and women in the passageway, chipping away at the rock face or pushing full carts away to another area that Jack could not see. Along from Jack was a women, she was young like Kay, but her once athletic body was now starving, as the muscles in her arms took every ounce of nutrients. Her face was gaunt, her lips cracked and bleeding and Jack could see welts and sores on her hands and neck. Yet she still chipped away at the wall, in constant motion as if the illness that she was so obviously suffering was not a consideration, believing that if she dug enough ore out of this place she would return to loved ones, and air that would not kill. Jack noticed that the foreman was looking back towards him so he turned to the rock face and throwing the pick axe back began to dig into the ore. Black glistening lumps fell to the mine floor, but Jack became engulfed in a cloud of dust that filled his mouth and nose. He did not know how long he had been in the mine, but he had become aware that his mind was beginning to fog: now his pick axe seemed the most important thing to him, he had to fight to remember why he was in this place. Suddenly a deafening clamour filled the tunnels. Stale, burning air blasted down the passageway knocking Jack off his feet and the rock reverberated against his aching body.

The Doctor and Kay weaved their way through the bustling casino. The Doctor bent slightly and spoke quietly to Kay. 'We need to find away to get past security, to the back bit.'

'How are we going to do that? No one gets past security; all the doors are locked and guarded….'

The Doctor interrupted Kay. 'Well if it was easy, it wouldn't be any fun, and the lock's no problem.' He flashed his sonic screw driver from the inside pocket of his jacket. Kay looked slightly confused but had decided to simply accept what the Doctor said.

'Ok, but what about the guard?'

'Well…' the Doctor was deep in thought, 'we will need a distraction, to be honest I hadn't really go that far into the plan yet!

'Really,' Kay said under her breath.

'Could fix one of the slot machines to go….a bit nuts?' he pondered.

'How about you deal with door and leave the guard to me?' Kay smiled and raised one eyebrow to the Doctor. He returned her smile, if with slight reservation.

Kay left the Doctor's side and walked towards the guard, he was not much taller than Kay, and his greasy dark hair covered the white collar of his uniform. Kay thought as he neared him that with a bit of work and self confidence he could be much improved. As the guard noticed Kay's approach, the Doctor made his way towards the door. Kay positioned herself so that the guard would have his back to it. The Doctor did not know what Kay said to the now rather nervous looking man, but after she had stood too close and whispered in his ear he trotted off towards another part of the casino. The Doctor looked around him, then pulled his sonic screwdriver from his jacket and held it towards the door. As the lock clicked open Kay and the Doctor slipped inside.

'So now what? What is the plan when we see people back here?'

'I normally find that if you act like you are supposed to be somewhere, then people think you are supposed to be there…normally… well sometimes.'

'Time to put that theory to the test,' Kay whispered as a casino employee came out of a side door and turned towards them.

'Good afternoon!' The Doctor's voice was happy and full of confidence- if Kay didn't know better she would have thought he was meant to be in that corridor.

'Oh… err…afternoon,' the employee responded, obviously rather startled that someone had even noticed she was there.

The Doctor held up the sonic screwdriver and adjusted the frequency: it beeped faster and faster and he held it out in front of him as his pace quickened. 'This way,' said the Doctor as he turned a corner, with his tongue poking out. 'The transmitter is close; it must be one of these doors.' The Doctor moved his sonic screwdriver from side to side as he walked down the corridor. 'Ahhhhhhh, fantastic- there it is.' He held the sonic device to the lock and it clicked open. He slowly opened the door and after brief glace inside he motioned Kay to go through and then followed her into the room.

The walls of the room were bare and brilliant white, in stark contrast to the device that filled the centre of the room. It was part flashing lights, wires and circuit boards and part copper pipes, glass valves, and oily cogs. There was a quiet hum, the occasional click of gears and a hiss of steam as they entered the room. The Doctor's eyes almost popped out as he took in the machine. 'Wow, this is beautiful! The merging of technologies is artistry.' He walked around the device, putting on his clever specs, his hand followings its lines but not quite touching it.

'It looks like things my father used to build in his workshop- well bits of it do.' Kay muttered as she too stared at the contraption.

'What do you mean, which bits?' the Doctor enquired as he continued to circle the room.

'These pipes and the glass bits; my father used to tinker in his shed when I was young, taking things apart and fixing things for neighbours but nothing like this- there were no lights or coloured strands,' she pointed at bundles of wires as she spoke. 'The casino people, brought stuff like that, but only for the casino games.'

'So…..' the Doctor began, 'someone took bits of your people's native technology, and mixed it with microchips, and processors and came up with this. Very clever- well, if it wasn't an evil mind control device, obviously.'

'Doctor,' Kay piped up, as the Doctor continued to marvel at the machine. 'I am sure it is very interesting, but don't we need to shut it down?'

'Yes, yes, of course… now how to shut it down, that's the question.' Again the Doctor circled the room running his hands over the machine and then he took out the sonic screwdriver. It buzzed as he held to a large circuit board. 'Kay could you push that button?' Kay looked around her. 'Yes that's it, the big red one over there.' Kay pushed down on the glowing red button. At that point the room was plunged into silence, the cogs ceased to move and the steam dispersed in to nothing. Kay looked at Doctor; he beamed back at her, but then turned to the machine. 'Well that's it turned off, time to put it out of action permanently.' He adjusted the sonic device, once more holding it to parts of the circuitry. Kay jumped, as what seemed like all of the electrics throughout the machine fizzed and popped. 'And now just to make sure…' commented the doctor in his most mischievous tone. He held the screwdriver to the side of one of the glass valves and very gently tapped it; it smashed to hundreds of tiny shards and fell to the stark white floor.

Jack coughed as he tried to clear the dust from his lungs. He looked around him and noted that the other workers were also coughing and picking up dropped tools. In the distance Jack could hear shouts and screams but none of those around him seemed overly concerned with what had just happened. He pulled himself to his feet, just as the overseer caught sight of him.

'Back to work,' he bellowed.

Jack lifted his axe and despite his longing to help those screaming he did what he was told. He could hear the overseer talking to another supervisor who had arrived in the tunnel. Jack tried to listen as he chipped away but could not make out the words.

'You! Pretty boy,' shouted the overseer. Jack turned towards him. 'Yes, you. Get down here now.' Jack descended the wobbly ladder and walked towards the disagreeable man. 'We need more workers in processing and as you're useless here, maybe you'll be better there.'

'Yes sir,' Jack responded and then, leaving his axe with the tunnel foreman, followed the other man through the mine. As he did so he saw more and more young men and women working away in mindless servitude as they coughed the dust and noxious air from their lungs. The further he walked the louder the noise got. More coughing and the wailing and moaning of the injured filled the mine. As he turned a corner, he saw the processing plant. Huge machines filled the cavern, eating up rock and spitting it into great vats of steaming liquid but what caught Jack's eye was the devastation at the far side of the cave. Part of the wall had collapsed; people were pulling the injured from rubble while a number of overseers barked orders. 'You get them out of the way, and you back to work.' Another group had now arrived from a different side tunnel- they marched in dressed in grey overalls and loaded the more seriously injured onto stretchers and carried them away. Jack was instructed to load ore in to great machine, which he did without question as he watched, unable to help those on the far side of the cave. His muscles burned as he tipped bucket after bucket of rock onto the conveyer belt but as he was beginning to feel that he could not hold onto his free will any longer, the fog in his mind began to lift. The Doctor had done it, the machine was off. Jack continued in his work, he knew he could not rush this. He watched those around him for a sign that they too were free from this enforced desperation. It was not like a great switch being thrown but, slowly, the captive miners began to look around, gradually realising what they were doing and what was going on around them. Some began to speak, to ask questions of no one in particular, others just looked around them as if they had woken from a deep sleep. After several minutes the murmur of the workers became louder and Jack knew that now was the time to act. He took one of the carts and made his way through the cave seeking out those who seemed best placed to help others, the strongest and most aware. He knew that he did not have much time before the overseers realised what was happening. 'You should get out of here, take others with you and make your way slowly to shafts.' Reacting to Jack's instructions several people downed tools and began to walk away from mine carts and rock faces. He manoeuvred himself between the exit, the main group of miners and the overseer. The overseer frantically tapped his earpiece. Jack could not hear what he was saying over the growing throng but he guessed that he was calling for help. Unlike the guard he knew that the foremen in the other parts of the mine would also be busy. The guards were, with the exception of mining tools, unarmed but the newly freed workers were greater in number and Jack hoped that the guards would realise this and with it, the futility of trying to stop the escape.

The foreman of the processing plant, who had brought Jack from the other tunnel, seemed to have accepted this; he had stopped fiddling with his radio and was edging backwards to the rock face. He saw the crowd- suspicion and worry growing in their eyes, anger at their captors- he hoped the wish to be free was their strongest urge. He removed his jacket and radio, exaggerating the removal of his earpiece from his head.

The captives continued their slow drift towards the vertical shafts, and the foreman slipped quietly into background. Relief washed over Jack as he made his way back to the area of the mine that he had first encountered- he had a feeling that the overseer in that section would not sink into the background. He heard the overseers voice as his walk became a run; as he entered he was greeted with the scene he most feared.

The '_I like my job' _overseer was standing in front of the entrance to the caged lift and miners were gathering around him; many were still dazed and confused, not really sure what was happening but sure enough that digging poisonous ore from dark, cramped tunnels was not what they should be doing. The overseer held the pick axe in both hands, high above his shoulder, ready to throw it down on to anyone who got too close.

'Hey!' Jack's voice boomed and echoed around the tunnel. 'Move away from the lift and let them go up to the surface!'

'You wanna make me, Pretty boy!'

'Yeah, I do,' Jack said, almost to himself. He lowered his head and ran full tilt towards the overseer. Within seconds his shoulder slammed into the guard's hip. He flew backwards, Jack still wrapped around his waist. A great cheer went up from the crowd, but as Jack felt the warmth of the crowd filling his heart, he felt the hot rush of blood as the metal pick slammed into the centre of his back. The guard struggled under Jack's broad frame, the ex-time agent knew that he was losing a lot of blood, he knew from extensive past experience he didn't have long. He drew up his left arm and pushed it down across the guards chest, summoning every ounce of strength he had left he smashed his right fist into the guards jaw. Jack felt the overseer's skull bounce against the stone floor. As Jack struggled to hold onto his own consciousness he knew that the guard had lost his.

Darkness. The feeling of being pulled across broken glass

'Ahhhhhhhh!' Air flooded into Jack's lungs, it was dust filled air but it was air and Jack decided he wanted that more than death- not something he had felt for a long time. He felt strong arms cradling his head and shoulders; a gentle heartbeat thumped on his face. He blinked open his eyes, only to see the burly guard from the house above staring down at him.

'Didn't think you were going to come back this time!' His white teeth gleamed from his large face as his muscular arms lifted Jack's head and shoulders off the floor. A look of confusion flashed across Jack's face: the guard continued to smile back at him. 'I saw you once in the squat district, before I worked for the mining company: you took a knife to the chest and were thrown out the back of the bar but then you got up! I recognised you as soon as you walked into Woodhouse.'

Jack sat up now and started to pull himself to his feet. 'You knew I was a fake? You knew my story was a sham?'

'Yeah,' he said still grinning as he helped Jack to his feet. 'I reckoned you were here to do something- didn't know what. I knew you ran _stuff_ into squat, but you looked different when you walked into Woodhouse- your eyes were different, in the squat district you were distant, cold.'

'Maybe I was different when I was in squat,' he mumbled to himself. He looked around to see the overseer who had axed him, bound and gagged sat against the tunnel wall and a quiet queue of miners waiting to take the lift up to the surface.

'Whatever you've done Jack…it's Jack isn't it?'

'Yes… Jack Harkness, but how…'

'When you see someone come back from the dead you ask around. Whatever it is you have done, I think it was a good thing.'

'It wasn't me, I was just helping out.' Jack voice was quiet and remote.

'Well whatever you did, or helped to do, thanks. Tthese people should never have sent down here, put in that trance. Come on, time you got out of here too.'

'When everyone else is safely up.' Jack nodded.

'Ok, you the boss,' he smiled. 'Oh, it's Aeri by the way.' He held out his hand to Jack's.

'Nice to meet you Aeri.'

The Doctor and Kay stared at each other across the still machine. The silence was shattered as alarms filled the air.

'That will be our cue Kay.' He giggled, 'Cue Kay, I like that'

'Our cue?'

The Doctor opened the door and peeped out into the hallway, 'Time to run! Again!'

They reached a split in the corridor and stopped. Despite the alarms there was still no one around, which Kay found rather strange but while she was considering this, the Doctor pushed a worn leather wallet into her hand. 'This is psychic paper, it…err… says….'

'I saw you use it in the casino- I'm sure I can work it out.'

The Doctor gave her a gentle smile. 'Yes, of course. Go back to the casino floor- people down there will be confused and will need help.'

'But, how? What am I going to do…'

'I'm sure you'll work it out.'

'But what are you going to do?' Kay asked, a hint of panic in her voice.

'I'm going to shut this operation down!' The Doctor ran this hand through his hair and winked at Kay.

The Doctor, sonic in hand, trotted quickly down the corridor. A young woman in impossibly high heels walked hurriedly towards the Doctor, her arms full of papers. She mumbled to herself so much that she hardly even noticed the tall suited man.

'Excuse me,' asked the Doctor, with a smile so wide and full of teeth that it cut his face in half.

'Oh errr, yes, sorry, what?' The young woman had jumped with surprise and now struggled to hold onto all her papers.

'Oh, sorry,' the Doctor helped the young woman regain a grip on her papers. 'I was hoping you could tell me where the boss's office is? I am new, and I think I am a bit lost- have to report on the security breach.'

'Oh, err yes ummm,' she tried to regain her composure, which she found quite hard when confronted with the handsome man in front of her. He was still smiling at her. 'To the end of this corridor, up the stairs, and it's the glass door at the end.' She managed to free a hand from her papers and thrust it towards the Doctor. 'My name is Aly; this place is a bit mad when you are new.' She managed a bashful smile.

'John Smith.' The Doctor shook Aly's hand vigorously. 'Sorry- would love to stop and chat, but you know the big boss's waiting for me and all that…'

'Yes, of course.' A flash of pink tinged her blue cheeks.

The Doctor strode along the hallway and up the staircase as the girl had told him. He stopped outside the frosted glass door. He could hear voices in the room, several of which were raised in argument.

'We have to get the machine working again…the people in the mines…'

'I have told you the machine can't be fixed- it was amazing it has worked for this long.'

'We have to get out of here. We can take the money, set up again somewhere else.'

The Doctor burst in through the door. 'Now there's a good idea, leave! Of course I can't really let you take all the money you've made, or the ore, that would be very remiss of me. And obviously setting up somewhere else would be completely out of the question…'

'Guards!' shouted a large well dressed, well fed man from behind a grand desk. 'Who are you? And what you have done?' Several burly men were suddenly at the Doctor's side, hands resting on weapons held at their hips.

'Now, now, there is no need for that.' The Doctor's voice was calm but stern. 'I am going to stay very calm, very, very calm, and I suggest you do the same.'

The men in the room stood silently staring at the Doctor. He noticed that they were a mix of natives and aliens. 'So,' he started, 'this was not just a hostile takeover, people on the inside had a part in it.'

A small grey haired man, with thin, wrinkled blue skin stepped forward as he spoke. 'We knew that there was Distronic ore down there, we just didn't have the technology or manpower to get it out. We knew it would make us much more money than the casinos ever would.'

'And the fact that Distronic ore is banned throughout most of the galaxy?' enquired the Doctor as he looked down on the small man.

'We wanted to be rich and powerful.' Shame seemed to fill his face, 'We sold out to the company- they told us they would help our country but they enslaved and poisoned our people…..' He was cut off by the large man behind the desk.

'You wanted power and we gave it to you,' he struggled to his feet. 'And you,' he turned his attention to the Doctor, 'What are you going to do to stop me?'

The Doctor strolled around the office to a computer console. 'This for starters!' He held the sonic screwdriver to the computer and the monitor flickered and flashed up several different screens. 'That's all your money gone.'

'What! You can't do that!'

'Well as I just have I think that's your argument out of the window,' he grinned, but then his face turned dark and stern.

'You can't do anything to me!' boomed the large man, 'Who do you think you are?'

The Doctor's voice was calm and solemn, 'I am the Doctor, and you, all of you have a choice to make.' He looked around the room at the six men, 'You can leave here of your own free will- leave, just walk away, never come back, and never do this again, anywhere. Or…' he paused, taking several steps towards the boss behind his desk, but leaned in, eye to eye with the large man. His voice was now a little louder and held a hint of anger, '…or you will face that mob coming out of the mines, the Judoon that will come on the orders of the Shadow proclamation, and me, and believe me you don't want to face me. There will be no second chances.'

The small old man, walked to the desk, and looking straight at the big boss, slid a small console towards him. He never dropped his gaze but pressed a button and spoke quietly into the box. 'Stand down. I repeat- all security to stand down.'

The Doctor gave him the slightest of nods. The other men relaxed and the guards at the Doctor's side dropped their hands from their side arms and stood back. Only the boss behind the desk kept his stance, glaring at the tall man in front of him. Suddenly his hand moved under the desk, and he aimed a gun at the Doctor. There was an audible intake of breath in the room.

'You can't do this to me!' the man shouted. 'You have not power here, and the Shadow proclamation, what will they do to me?' His voice was filled with arrogance and rage. Without any glance or communication the two guards also pulled their weapons and pointed them directly at the large man. From their faces the Doctor knew that they had no fear, no reservation.

'Put it down!' The Doctor looked straight at the man behind the desk, his voice quiet and soft. After what seemed an eternity of tension and staring, he dropped the gun to the desk. The guards approached with their guns trained on him and, drawing his hands behind his back, locked him in handcuffs.

Jack walked the streets back towards the casino, the imposing figure of Aeri at his side. All the people were covered in dust, blinking at the now blue skies. Many were weak and sick but others helped them; it was a slow shambling pilgrimage back the casinos.

'What can I do Jack?' Aeri asked. 'I want to help, I need to help.'

'You are a good man Aeri,' Jack smiled. 'You know what I was doing in squat?'

'Yeah, but I know you were just doing it to survive, like the rest of us.'

'You think you can put a stop to it?' Jack's face was serious, as he looked up to the house on the hill.

'Yeah, I can do that.' Aeri followed Jack's gaze up the hill. 'But what about everything else- what about the rest of squat district?'

'One thing at a time.' Jack nodded. 'But I think you can do it- it's not like many people are going to argue with you.' A smile spread across Jack's face and he eyed up Aeri's broad muscular chest.

'You're leaving aren't you?' Aeri's voice was tinged with sadness.

'I have to. I have to go- can't run away anymore.' Jack spoke almost to himself. Aeri turned to Jack and placed his large hands on his shoulders, 'I hope you find peace Jack Harkness- YOU are a good man.' He leaned in and kissed the Captain. As he stood back he beamed a broad smile at his slightly shocked companion, then turned and jogged away from Jack and towards the house on the hill.

The Doctor stood in a room full of men in suits, all desperately trying to decide the best way forward. 'QUIET!' shouted the Doctor. 'Thank you. Firstly you need to treat the sick, then get the people that have been stuck here home, then you need to make sure no one can ever get at that mine again!' The suited men looked at one another; each had a look of bewilderment.

'How are we going to help all these people?' one man asked. 'I mean, I know we have to but we just do not have the resources.'

'Well,' said the Doctor, 'what about the surrounding planets- didn't you used to have alliances with them? You could ask. You know, I think they would help.'

Jack walked through the Atlantis casino, unnoticed in the throng of the released miners. He saw Kay on the far side of the room, carefully wrapping bandages around a women's arm. She didn't see Jack and she was not who he wanted to see- yet. He found his Doctor in a back room of the casino surrounded by chattering men, several were asking him questions. Jack stood in the doorway and leaned against the frame, shirt sleeves rolled up, arms folded across his chest. He smiled. The Time lord looked up, straight at Jack and nodded. Ignoring the questions, he walked towards the door and embraced Jack. 'Time to go,' he said quietly in his ear.

'Time to go.' Jack responded.

Once back in the main casino the two men found Kay. She hugged Jack for so long he thought he was going to pass out.

'It looks like you have found your calling,' the Doctor said to Kay once she had let go of Jack. He looked around that the field hospital Kay had set up in the bar area of the casino. Kay smiled, 'My Grandmother was a healer, back before….. I guess it must run in the blood.'

Jack took Kay's hand and motioned for her to follow him. He led her out of casino and walked away from the crowds, the Doctor following a few steps behind.

'These people are going to need people like you in the days ahead.' His voice was soft and gentle. Kay's face dropped as she realised what Jack was telling her, but Jack kept hold of her hands and continued. 'Take this,' the Doctor passed her a handheld computer. 'It contains the names of the people who ran this operation, they have promised to leave right away but you should make sure they don't come back, and maybe let the surrounding planets know.' Kay nodded, tears filled her eyes now. 'But the most important thing,' Jack continued, 'is that the Doctor took away all the money they made from the casino and the mine, and you will be able to access it with this. You should use it to get these people help and get them home.'

'But, but...' Kay tried to speak, but the Doctor stepped in.

'You can are the best person do this, not one of the men in here, with their suits and their image, but you and your heart.' He gave Kay a tender smile.

'But why can't you stay?' she pleaded with Jack.

'I ended up here because I was running away. I can't do that anymore- I have to go back, face what I did.' Kay gave him a half smile, as if to say she understood. 'You will be fine, you are an amazing women Kay and I am glad that I met you.'

'Will I ever see you again? Will you ever come back?'

'I don't know, maybe.' He paused and looked at the Doctor, 'I hope so.'

Kay gave Jack a massive hug and Jack responded in kind, lifting Kay off her feet. When he put her down, she smiled and wiped the tears away from her eyes. She stepped over the Doctor and giving him a hug, she whispered in his ear.

'Look after him for me.'

'I will try my best, but I have my limits,' he whispered back. Giving her a cheeky grin he looked over her shoulder, 'I think someone wants to see you.'

'Kay,' Raakin was running towards the trio, 'thank goodness you are okay,' he panted as he came to a stand still. 'When all these sick people started appearing I was worried. Had a feeling you two,' he glared at Jack and Doctor, 'would have something to do with it.'

'It is okay, I am kkay, and Jack and the Doctor have done a good thing. It is WE that have been blind to what has been going on, and now we have to sort it out.'

Raakin looked confused but seemed to accept what Kay was saying.

'Why, don't you and Raakin go back inside, see what you can do to help?' Jack said. Kay nodded, kissed Jack on the cheek and took Raakin's hand. But just as Kay was leading him away, Jack put a stern hand on his shoulder. 'You better look after my girl- you hurt her and I will be back.' Raakin could not quite work out if this tall, broad man was serious or joking but he smiled and nodded back in understanding. The Doctor turned and started to walk way; Jack went with him for a few steps then stopped. 'I'll meet you back at the Tardis, something I need to get.' The Doctor nodded, as Jack ran off.

The Doctor was turning dials and pressing buttons when Jack entered the Tardis. He was still dressed in the dirty blue shirt, trousers and braces but over his arm was a RAF great coat and wrapped around is left wrist was his vortex manipulator. 'Time I was Captain Harkness again.' A sad smile spread across his face.

The Tardis landed in a narrow street a short distance away from Cardiff bay.

'Are you sure about this Jack?'

'Yeah, I'm sure- as long as you've managed to land this thing in the right time and place.'

'I'm sure that we are when you said, but you can't just walk in there,' the Doctor looked sternly at Jack. 'This is a one person deal- you know the rules.'

'I know,' Jack insisted, 'crossing time lines, changing history. I know.' He was at the door of the Tardis, eager to get out.

'Wait'

'What now?' Jack retorted.

'You better take this.' The Doctor walked up to Jack and placed a long chain around his neck, and on the chain hung a key.

'Perception filter, been a while.'

The Doctor looked straight at Jack, staring into his blue eyes. 'We can't take any chances Jack, I mean it- no one can know you were here.' He placed an identical chain round his own neck.

'I know,' Jack insisted again. 'I remember this night very clearly, Gwen went home to Rhys and I left the Hub around midnight. He will be asleep, alone, it will be fine. But we better go in through the car park- make sure I've left.'

Jack and the Doctor left the Tardis. Jack's eagerness had now been replaced with fear- his stomach was tying itself in knots and it took all his strength to keep walking, leading the Doctor down several streets until they reached the concealed entrance to the Hub car park. Jack tapped at his wrist strap and the door unlocked. They walked quietly through and into the underground bunker. The SUV was still there.

'I'm still here.' Jack whispered the Doctor. Then there was movement at the back of the garage. The Doctor pulled Jack behind a concrete pillar. The Doctor peered round to see the other Jack loading up the SUV.

'Where are you going with cans of petrol?'

'You probably don't need to know but at least I know it definitely the right day- I don't go out every night with the intention of burning down churches.'

The Doctor looked back at Jack; Jack shrugged his shoulders and raised an eyebrow.

They waited quietly as the other Jack loaded up the SUV, and then drove off into the night.

'I will meet you back in the Tardis.' With that the Doctor left Jack standing alone.

What was he doing? This was insane. His stomach was turning over and over. He had to breathe so deeply now, just to keep standing. He had to do it. It was now or never. Jack steadied himself against the door to the hub, and looked into the iris scanner. The door rolled back and Jack entered the main hub. It was as silent as the hub ever was, quiet except for the beeping of the rift monitors, and the occasional groan rising from the cells below. He made his way past the offices and computer terminals, never looking left or right, he just kept walking towards his quarters. When he reached the cover in the floor he stood and listened for just a moment. He had to make sure Ianto was asleep. Jack realised that he was shaking as he lifted the cover to his quarters. The room was dark, just enough light streamed through the door so that Jack could see the clothes strewn on the floor. He remembered this night- too painful now. He tried to push it to the back of his mind, but he noticed Ianto's jacket on the floor; he picked it up and with trembling hands he placed it carefully on the back of a chair. He walked towards the bed. Only Ianto could look smart while sleeping- his black silk pyjamas caressing his toned body, only his hair revealed the night's previous activities. Jack collapsed to his knees next to the bed. Ianto stirred in his sleep,

'Shh, it's okay, just stay asleep' Jack stroked his hair and ran his hand down Ianto's cheek, cupping his face. Ianto moved his head to nuzzle Jack's hand but did not stir further.

'Ianto, I need to tell you something.' Jack's voice was so quiet that it could hardly be heard. 'I need to tell you now, in case I never get to tell you again.' Jack paused; tears had begun to fall from his eyes. 'Ianto, I need you to know,' his voice began to break up as he tried to hold it together, 'that I love you, and I always will, always, and I am sorry I never told you.' Ianto again stirred, trying to find Jack in his sleep. Jack stood, gently pulling his hand from his lover's skin, and slowly walked from the room.

'Jack?' Ianto called out as he roused from his slumber, blinking to see in the darkness. 'Jack, is that you?' No one responded and he could not see anyone in the darkness. 'Just dreaming,' he said to himself and turned over, pushing his head hard into the pillow.

Jack opened the door of the Tardis, The Doctor was sitting on the bench with his feet resting on the console.

'Thank you,' Jack said solemnly. The Doctor could see the stains of tears on his beautiful face. He stood up and walked towards his immortal companion.

'So where now Jack?' The Doctors' voice was slow and gentle.

'Please can you take me home now? I should finish what I started,' Jack walked past the Doctor without looking up, and entered a back room of the Tardis.


End file.
